Ephrata limits yard sales

EPHRATA — Ephrata residents can only hold three yard sales per year.

City council approved an ordinance limiting the number of yard sales during the last council meeting.

Councilmember Heidi Schultheis questioned the purpose of the ordinance.

“Is there a reason why it was limited to three a year? I can’t imagine having to prepare for three, but why are we limiting it to that?” she asked.

City Attorney Katherine Kenison said some residents hold multiple yard sales, running a home business.

“(It) is beyond what we normally allow in residential zones,” she said. “So we figure a reasonable number of legitimate garage sales would be at the most three.”

City Administrator Wes Crago said several people came to the city with concerns about holding multiple yard sales during the year.

“They live in a neighborhood that had frequent yard sales, and the traffic, the kids playing, it just wasn’t consistent with a residential neighborhood,” he said.

— Staff report